Health Department awarded grant for School Wellness Program in Boyne City

(June 27, 2011) Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has awarded a five-year $500,000 grant to the Health Department of Northwest Michigan for a School Wellness Program at Boyne City Elementary and Middle Schools beginning in September 2011.

School Wellness Programs include nursing services, individual and group health education using evidence-based curricula and interventions, school staff training and professional development, and mental health services.

"We're delighted to be working together with the Health Department to improve students' health in Boyne City," said Peter Moss, Superintendent of Boyne City Public Schools. "We embrace the notion 'healthy kids learn better''". Similar programs have shown positive impact on school attendance, school achievement, and school completion, he said.

Tami Frampus, the long-time Boyne City School Nurse, will serve as the School Wellness Program Nurse. Though she will continue to see students who become sick or hurt at school, the project will also focus on nutrition and physical activity. For example, Frampus will lead a research-based project to make changes in the middle school cafeteria with the goal to increase student consumption of fruits and vegetables.

This is the third major grant for school-based child and adolescent health the Health Department has received from MDCH. The Ironmen Health Center is located in Mancelona and the Hornet Health Center is in the Pellston middle-high school.

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is mandated by the Michigan Public Health Code to promote wellness, prevent disease, provide quality healthcare, address health problems of vulnerable populations, and protect the environment for the residents and visitors of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties. For additional information, contact Erika VanDam, Family & Community Health Supervisor at the Health Department at 231-347-5832.